“New” Annie Fischer
Posted by: Todd A on 09 March 2005
When I recently found out that BBC Legends had released a third disc devoted to Annie Fischer, it was immediately apparent that I must have it. I shall reiterate that I am an Annie Fischer devotee, so keep that in mind when considering my appraisal. The disc is superb if uneven.
This disc has a half-dozen works by five composers, and as luck would have it, I like all of the composers and works to some degree. The disc opens with a 1958 recording of Haydn’s Andante and Variations in F minor, and Ms Fischer seems thoroughly familiar with and well versed in the piece. She keeps her romantic bias at bay and plays the piece appropriately. Okay, maybe she’s a tad heavier than some may like, but that just lends a bit more heft and power, though definitely not too much.
The next work is familiar territory: Beethoven’s Mondschein sonata. Taken from the same session as the Haydn, it contains all those traits of Annie’s Beethoven recordings for EMI: it is powerful, full-bodied, and decidedly on the romantic end of the interpretive spectrum, yet it is flexible enough to allow for more than just sturm und drang. The opening is slowed just a tad, and has a darker hue than some go for. The second movement offers a nice albeit pointed rest before the urgently played finale. Truth to tell, this performance offers little more than her contemporaneous EMI recording of the work or even her later recording, but of course I’ll take it. She’s one of my favorites in this work.
Next up is a composer I don’t really associate with Annie: Chopin. She opts for the third Scherzo, also from the 1958 session, and much to my relief, she is reasonably successful. I can’t say that she matches up with the best Chopin interpreters out there, but she certainly trounces on Martha Argerich’s hideous recording of this piece from twenty years later at the Concertgebouw. Annie does open with a heavy, almost Teutonic sound – Chopin seen through a Beethovenian lens, if you will – and she resorts to that sound on and off. But those attractive, defining arpeggio cascades come off surprisingly well, being neither too heavy nor too light, neither too fast nor too slow. Throughout, one is reminded that this is a minor key work, but ultimately, the Pole’s idiom escapes Ms Fischer. A fine performance, but only for those familiar with the work.
Beethoven makes his second appearance with the 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO 80, from 1963. The Diabellis aside, I don’t listen to LvB’s variations much. This could change that. This is a powerful, strong, muscular reading, with each variation leading inexorably to the next, and with tension kept at a satisfyingly high level through to the end. While I can’t say that this is Lou’s best pianistic effort, it’s worth my time and well done.
The next work is one I didn’t even know existed: Zoltan Kodaly’s Dances of Marosszek in piano form, also from the 1963 session. I’m not a big Kodaly fan, finding him a third- or fourth-tier composer, especially when compared to his great contemporary, but the orchestral version of this work is perhaps my favorite by this composer. The piano version (which apparently came first) comes off quite nicely. To say that Annie plays idiomatically is to state the obvious, and she brings an almost unbridled energy to the piece. Ultimately, I still prefer the orchestral version for all of the color and tonal variety it brings, but this alternative version makes a nice addition to my collection.
The concluding work is Mozart’s fine little C-minor sonata, the K457 sonata, from 1971. (There sure are a lot of minor key works in this compilation.) This performance may be the most contentious of the disc. Contrary to the liner notes, Annie’s take is very much Mozart seen through a Beethovenian lens. The opening is almost impossibly heavy and dramatic, the prevailing tone more romantic than classical. But as with her recordings of some of Mozart’s piano concertos, she makes it work. There is greater drama and tension than is often the case, and while she brings a heavy hand at times, it works. One must appreciate her approach before hand to appreciate this recording. No, it ain’t the top of the heap, but I like it.
One thing that I can happily report is the sound quality is quite acceptable, and the mono recordings (all but the Mozart) are the best of all. BBC and IMG made the wise choice of having Tony Faulkner remaster the recordings, and the clarity, detail, and weight are better than in the first disc devoted to Annie. Indeed, the sound is superior to most recordings of similar vintage previously released by BBC. I hope to hear more remasterings by Mr Faulkner.
So, a fine compilation, but I think it is really one for Annie Fischer fans. Everything comes off well, but her approach can be off-putting to some, and no one should come to these works, the Kodaly aside, without some familiarity. One of the things I really like is that these recordings are mostly either single takes (like the Chopin) or comprised of relatively few takes. There are some slips and boo-boos, but they matter not one bit. Definitely a keeper for me.
This disc has a half-dozen works by five composers, and as luck would have it, I like all of the composers and works to some degree. The disc opens with a 1958 recording of Haydn’s Andante and Variations in F minor, and Ms Fischer seems thoroughly familiar with and well versed in the piece. She keeps her romantic bias at bay and plays the piece appropriately. Okay, maybe she’s a tad heavier than some may like, but that just lends a bit more heft and power, though definitely not too much.
The next work is familiar territory: Beethoven’s Mondschein sonata. Taken from the same session as the Haydn, it contains all those traits of Annie’s Beethoven recordings for EMI: it is powerful, full-bodied, and decidedly on the romantic end of the interpretive spectrum, yet it is flexible enough to allow for more than just sturm und drang. The opening is slowed just a tad, and has a darker hue than some go for. The second movement offers a nice albeit pointed rest before the urgently played finale. Truth to tell, this performance offers little more than her contemporaneous EMI recording of the work or even her later recording, but of course I’ll take it. She’s one of my favorites in this work.
Next up is a composer I don’t really associate with Annie: Chopin. She opts for the third Scherzo, also from the 1958 session, and much to my relief, she is reasonably successful. I can’t say that she matches up with the best Chopin interpreters out there, but she certainly trounces on Martha Argerich’s hideous recording of this piece from twenty years later at the Concertgebouw. Annie does open with a heavy, almost Teutonic sound – Chopin seen through a Beethovenian lens, if you will – and she resorts to that sound on and off. But those attractive, defining arpeggio cascades come off surprisingly well, being neither too heavy nor too light, neither too fast nor too slow. Throughout, one is reminded that this is a minor key work, but ultimately, the Pole’s idiom escapes Ms Fischer. A fine performance, but only for those familiar with the work.
Beethoven makes his second appearance with the 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor, WoO 80, from 1963. The Diabellis aside, I don’t listen to LvB’s variations much. This could change that. This is a powerful, strong, muscular reading, with each variation leading inexorably to the next, and with tension kept at a satisfyingly high level through to the end. While I can’t say that this is Lou’s best pianistic effort, it’s worth my time and well done.
The next work is one I didn’t even know existed: Zoltan Kodaly’s Dances of Marosszek in piano form, also from the 1963 session. I’m not a big Kodaly fan, finding him a third- or fourth-tier composer, especially when compared to his great contemporary, but the orchestral version of this work is perhaps my favorite by this composer. The piano version (which apparently came first) comes off quite nicely. To say that Annie plays idiomatically is to state the obvious, and she brings an almost unbridled energy to the piece. Ultimately, I still prefer the orchestral version for all of the color and tonal variety it brings, but this alternative version makes a nice addition to my collection.
The concluding work is Mozart’s fine little C-minor sonata, the K457 sonata, from 1971. (There sure are a lot of minor key works in this compilation.) This performance may be the most contentious of the disc. Contrary to the liner notes, Annie’s take is very much Mozart seen through a Beethovenian lens. The opening is almost impossibly heavy and dramatic, the prevailing tone more romantic than classical. But as with her recordings of some of Mozart’s piano concertos, she makes it work. There is greater drama and tension than is often the case, and while she brings a heavy hand at times, it works. One must appreciate her approach before hand to appreciate this recording. No, it ain’t the top of the heap, but I like it.
One thing that I can happily report is the sound quality is quite acceptable, and the mono recordings (all but the Mozart) are the best of all. BBC and IMG made the wise choice of having Tony Faulkner remaster the recordings, and the clarity, detail, and weight are better than in the first disc devoted to Annie. Indeed, the sound is superior to most recordings of similar vintage previously released by BBC. I hope to hear more remasterings by Mr Faulkner.
So, a fine compilation, but I think it is really one for Annie Fischer fans. Everything comes off well, but her approach can be off-putting to some, and no one should come to these works, the Kodaly aside, without some familiarity. One of the things I really like is that these recordings are mostly either single takes (like the Chopin) or comprised of relatively few takes. There are some slips and boo-boos, but they matter not one bit. Definitely a keeper for me.